Gregg team in the lead

Glenroy Sinclair, Assignment Coordinator

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Gary Gregg and his co-driver Hugh Hutchinson are the provisional leaders, with Jeffrey Panton and Mike Fennell Jr in second place, after day two of Jamaica's premier motoring event, Rally Jamaica 2008.

Gregg and Panton are driving Ford Focus World Rally cars. If it had not been for a mechanical problem, which affected him on the first stage, Panton would have probably been in the lead or running a close second behind Gregg.

"Gary is way ahead and for us to beat him, he will have to make some stupid mistakes," Panton told The Gleaner after yesterday's stages. "I think we will beat him today on the stages, but that will not be enough to assume the lead."

Another Ford Focus car, driven by the Barbadian pair of Roger Skeete and co-driver Robert Simmons, are third, with Jamaica's Richie Rerrie in fourth.

The Mexican team of Ricardo Trivinio and Checo Salom complete the top five.

Challenging terrain

A number of unlucky competitors fell victim to the challenging terrain of Reynolds and Lydford in St Ann. Some had accidents, while others sustained serious mechanical problems and were unable to take further part.

There were reports that a member of the Bajan team, Jonathan Still and co-driver David Anderson, rolled over in their two-wheel drive 1998 BMW M3 car. The accident is said to have taken place at Special Stage Four yesterday morning.

Up to lunch time, rally officials confirmed that at least 14 of the 41 competitors who started yesterday morning were out. Among them were the favourites from Barbados, Paul Bourne and Stuart Maloney, and their countrymen Dean Serrao/Clint Gregory, Sean Gill/Michael Cum-mins and Still/Anderson.